Epic Claims Apple Blocks Fortnite's U.S. App Store Return, Sweeney Tweets Cook

The ongoing feud between Epic Games and Apple over the future of Fortnite on iOS devices has escalated, with Epic accusing Apple of blocking its latest submission to the U.S. App Store. This development comes after Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, announced earlier this month that Fortnite would return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones imminently, following a significant court ruling.

On April 30, a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled that Apple had wilfully violated a court order in the Epic Games v. Apple case. The order required Apple to allow developers to offer alternative in-app purchase methods to customers. However, despite the ruling, Epic's plans to reintroduce Fortnite to iOS devices have been thwarted.

Epic's Tim Sweeney remains steadfast in his battle against Apple and Google, vowing to continue the fight for as long as it takes. Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg.

In January, IGN highlighted Sweeney's substantial investment in this legal battle, noting that he has spent billions fighting Apple and Google over their app store policies. Sweeney views this as a long-term investment in Epic and Fortnite's future, confident that Epic can sustain the fight for decades if necessary.

The core issue revolves around Epic's refusal to pay the standard 30% store fees on mobile game revenue. Epic prefers to operate Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store on mobile devices, bypassing Apple and Google's fees. This disagreement led to Fortnite being removed from iOS back in 2020.

Following Sweeney's recent tweet, expectations were high for Fortnite's return to iOS. However, Epic's latest statement to IGN reveals a different reality: "Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."

This situation has been costly for Epic, which has lost billions in potential revenue since Fortnite was removed from iPhones five years ago. In a direct appeal, Sweeney tweeted at Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, urging him to reconsider: "Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought."

Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 15, 2025

Following the court's decision, Apple was referred to federal prosecutors for violating the U.S. court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized, "Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated. This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order."

The Judge also referred Apple and its Vice President of Finance, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation. Roman's testimony regarding Apple's compliance with the injunction was criticized as misleading and dishonest by the judge.

In response, Apple issued a statement expressing disagreement with the court's decision but promising compliance while planning an appeal. Last week, Apple requested a pause on the ruling from the U.S. appeals court, further complicating the situation.